About Us
Ashley Straw
Ashley (Ash) Marie Straw, is a Voice, in the world, for Healing and Transformation that is Authentic and Lasting; a widely sought-after Yoga and Meditation Teacher, Program Coordinator/Consultant and Performing Artist. She has studied Yoga for thirteen years in the Iyengar and Integral Yoga traditions as well as Hinduism, Western Philosophy & Theatre Arts at Stony Brook University. She is a graduate of The American Musical & Dramatic Academy in New York and the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts Contemporary Drama Program in the UK, who utilizes her background in Music and Theatre, practically, to inform her work in transformational education. Ash is the lead singer, and lead composer for the Dark Blue Coillaborative, a seven-piece band that plays soulful, dance-able and deeply-moving music regularly throughout New York City and at Music and Yoga Festivals along the East Coast.
Paul Howe
Paul Howe studied piano at the renowned Crane School of music at Potsdam College. He then came to New York city to pursue his love for music. He is now a singer and songwriter in a Pop Rock band by his namesake performing at various venues around the city. He also works as a handyman. “ I love to help people create a home that is not only functional but beautiful.” His artistry is not just bound by music but also manifests in the way that he helps people. He believes creativity can be expressed in the ordinary as well as the remarkable events in life.
Dwayne Beach
Just like his last name Beach, is an easy going, but bombasticly powerful whirlpool kind of talent, that bend and molds the breath and reach of his artistry. Coming from a career as a young ballroom dancer professional who had placed in many finals in national and world's competition, He danced in the Kennedy Center as a special guest for Angela Lansbury 2nd annual benefit in 2008 amongst many celebrity galas. Performed in PORTS fashion show, appeared on the TODAY SHOW and toured nationally with American Ballroom Theatre.
Dwayne as a musician takes the hot seat. Versed in both viola and violin Dwayne graduated with his master's in Viola Performance from Brooklyn College Conservatory of music studying under the tutelage of master pedagog Masao Kawasaki. He made his Jazz at Lincoln Center debut in April 2010 as a violist soloist with Kentucky Chamber Choir directed by composer Shafer Mahoney. Since then he has assumed the position of Principal Violist for various orchestra like One World Symphony and Asian Cultural Symphony of which he still performs. A lover of everything music he co-founded a duo with guitarist Marcin Wisniewski called The F-Tones of which they released their first album called "Sketches," a fusion album of classical, Gypsy jazz, and pop originals. With the molding of Dwayne artist prowness he just released another talent out of the box singing in his first EP called "Shoo False Love, I Fear Not!" This project showcases the many talents of Dwayne as the visionary who wore many hats, that of the composer, the lyricist, one of the instrumentalist, the singer, the dance choreographer, one of the dancers and director of both the music video and live concert. He plans on making more high quality multidisciplinary pieces of art. You can find more about his art on his webpage www.dwaynebeach.com. and find his music video for his single FLYBIRD on YouTube and his two records on all music platforms.
Max Kanowitz
A sound artist, discovering the music in everything, Max Kanowitz self-proclaimed Prana Rising draws inspiration from the power of music to transform the internal world of mind and body and the external world of action and experience. Trained at the Eastman School of music, Max moved to Brooklyn in 2016 where he was commissioned to write and perform his first ballet STRATA for percussion and tape, responding to the art of Nancy Baker. The emergence in 2017 of a percussion and vocal duo project with Lebanese-American multi-instrumentalist Adam Maalouf became a departure from formal training in classical percussion, exploring global music and hand drumming traditions, rhythmic spoken word, and the modern Handpan. Over the span of 2017, a hybrid drum set and percussion vocabulary developed alongside The Dark Blue, a music collective lead by singer songwriter Ash Straw, and the recording of an EP in mid-2018 at ACME Hall Studios. A trip to Berlin in the summer of 2017 inspired the commision of a second ballet, SHINE for company konverjdans, and while also in Europe, performed in Den Haag, Netherlands with Dutch-Ukrainian percussionist Konstantyn Napolov and American flutist Coreisa Janelle Lee.
A calling to develop the solo work of Prana Rising in early 2018 was aided by an sponsorship by Russian Instrument builder KAA Tone Tongue Drums, becoming the catalyst for new handpan inspired compositions accompanied by world percussion and orchestral orchestration. The pieces “Vision” and “Journey” have been the first songs and music videos to emerge in a series that will span into 2019. This past fall, Max performed percussion in the opera world premiere of Anna Christie, presented by Encompass New Opera Theatre and Baruch performing arts center in lower Manhattan. In his most recent scoring project, Max composed the music for a social justice dance film that aims to bring awareness to the human rights violations at the Mexico-American border and the deep mistreatment of indigenous and migrant peoples in the US. Max is currently working with more than 20 private music students in Manhattan and Brooklyn. Visit TheSoundArtist.com for contact and booking.
Ken Scharf
Ken Scharf is a New York City based trumpet player who began his career when he was just 16 years old and sneaking into his local jazz club, the once beloved Sonny’s Place on Long Island. Ken became hooked on jazz during a summer program at Berklee School of Music and went on to graduate from the Manhattan School of Music in 1991. After studying with Lew Soloff, he began touring
with the great Ray Charles for over a decade and can be heard on the Grammy award winning album of the year “Genius Loves Company” by Ray Charles. He’s worked with various artists throughout his life including the Woody Herman Orchestra, Glenn Miller Orchestra, Tony Bennett, Bernadette Peters, Mel Torme, Michael Bublé, David Sanborn as well as the world famous Tabou Combo.
Some of his most memorable performances were in venues including the White House, Montreux Jazz Festival, Newport Jazz Festival, the Kremlin, Hollywood Bowl and the Blue Note Jazz Club, to name a few.
Influenced by such artists as Dave Burns, Freddie Hubbard, Kenny Dorham and Miles Davis among many, Ken’s currently performing the Music of Ray Charles featuring the legendary Maceo Parker.
Brandon Vetrano
Coming out of the progressive Studio Composition program at the renowned Purchase Conservatory of Music, Brandon is known for his experimental, ethereal soundscape compositions that pique the ears, mind and soul. In addition to his compositional work, Brandon leads and performs in several Jazz ensembles in the New York area. He can be seen regularly performing with his own acclaimed Gypsy Jazz group throughout the country, The Bailsmen, and leads the eclectic Atlas Duo in addition to being a regular member of Sweet Megg and the Wayfarers, Bedlam Swing, Jazzingaro, Hot Club of Flatbush and many more. He has performed for the U.N., Hungarian and French consulates, Huffington Post, Vanity Fair, Art Basel, NBC's Rainbow Room, Condé Nast, and at Joe's Pub, Delpozo Fashion Week, the Princeton Club, Swing 46, Blues Alley, Tavern on the Green and countless other esteemed venues. Television appearances: Desperate Housewives with Sweet Megg and the Wayfarers, and has recorded music for a Super Bowl commercial for the Vince Camuto brand.
Douglas P. Murphy
Douglas P. Murphy is a producer as well as a singer-songwriter, guitarist and bassist who has played professionally and toured the USA extensively and has several records available on iTunes/youTube etc. He is self-taught and rhythmic in nature, bringing an anthemic style and groovy roots to every project. His other current band The Lunar Tourists from Brooklyn NY are currently perform in the NYC area and have several records out as well. Previous bands and projects include co-founding the seminal psychedelic rock band Tree, and touring with national acts like The Grapes and the Rusty Johnson Band.